Means for regulating rate of flow through a passage.



G. LIGHTFOOT.

MEANS FOR BEGULATING RATE OF PLOW THROUGH A PASSAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1911.

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Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CECIL LIGHTFOOTQ OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR REGULATING RATE OF FLOW THROUGH A PASSAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Application filed January Q, 1911. Serial No. 601,668.

, lating the rate of flow througha passage,

' possible,

crease O with the object of automatically maintaining a fluid pressureas nearly constant as in which the regulator is automatically adjustedby an operating force which is brought into action and caused toautomatically vary in intensity. The said force, newly harnessed asaboutv to be described, causes the repeated readjustment of theregulator to suit changing conditions. The force is due to the buoyancyof a float immersed more or less completely. in liquid, which floatcontains a quantity of gas whose volume variesv inversely as thepressure to which it is subjected, thereby causing a less or greaterdisplacement of liquid,by the float and its gaseous contents, inaccordance with the greater or less ressure respectively to which thesurface 0 the liquid is subjected.

The above described fluctuating buoyancy force may be employed in amanner to effect the required. regulation of pressure, either bconstricting a'. passage on an inpressure or, alternatively, anaugmentation of pressure may effect a widening of the passage.

My invention may be applied to a variety of purposes among which may bementioned the regulation of the pressure in gas mains, and forregulating the rate of feed of a solid substance which 18 divided intoportions of dimensions sufficiently small to travel. by gravity throughthe passage of regulated width.

My invention is particularly Well adapted for the purpose of regulatingthe rate of generation of acetylene gas by the adjustment of the rate offeed of portions of calcium carbid to water, the manner whereby theinvention is to be performed will be described and ascertained byreference to a construction of apparatus for such a purpose.

- The invention may be embodied in various forms of construction as, forexample; the

gas contained within the float, which gas 1 undergoes volumetricvariation, may be confined within an inverted open-mounted receptacleinto which the liquid enters to a varying degree according to thepressure in the gas generating chamber, the inverted receptacle beingattached by a stem to a valve which is spring or weight-pressed withrespect to a seat provided at the lower extremity of a downwardconverging receiver for calcium carbid. In the generation of acetylenegas it will be desirable for the float to be immersed in water which isseparated from that into which the carbid of calcium drops. I

With the end hereinbefore set forth in view, the invention consists incertain novel features and combinationsof parts as hereinafter set forthand pointed out in the ,1

claims. 7 r

.The accompanying drawing .is a view, partly in elevation and partly insection of an acetylene gas generator, illustrating an embodiment of myinvention.

1 represents a tank or cylinder in its bottom with an opening which isnor mally closed by a. removable cover 2 and at its top, said tank isprovided with a gas outlet 2. Upon the top of the tank, acarprovided bidreceptacle 3 is located, said receptacle being provided with a hopper orconical bottom 4 depending into the upper portion ofsaid tank. Centrallywithin .the .tank, a vertical tube 5 is located and suitably supportedby means of a bracket 6 secured to the Wall of the tank, said tubeterminating at its upper end an appreciable distance below the outlet ofthe hopper t, and terminating at its lower end a considerable distanceabove the bottom of the tank. The tube 5 is provided at its upper endwith a perforated cap 6, and to the lower end of said tube a flangedmember 7 having perforations, is secured. A partition plate 8 is secured to the flanged member 7 and disposed in an inclined position so asto cause spent carbid to gravitate to one side to the tank, from whichit can be discharged through a flush .pipe 9, the latter being providedwith a valve 10. A bearing 11 is secured to the partition plate near theflush discharge, for the accommodation of the lower end of a shaft 12 towhich an agitator 13 is secured for loosening-up the spent carbid. The

shaft 12 extends upwardly through a suit able bearing 14 on the top ofthe tank 1 and is provided at its upper end with a suitable operatinghandle 15.

The partition plate 8 divides the tank into an upper chamber 16 and alower chamber 17. A float 18 is located within the lower or floatchamber and immersed in the fluid therein. This float is closed at itstop and open at its bottom so that when it is immersed, liquid willenter the same and confine a body of gaseous fluid between its uppersurface and the under surface of the to of said float. The lower portionof the float is provided with a spider 19 having a central openingthrough which a guide rod 20 passes, said rod extending upwardly fromthe bottom cover or door 2 of the tank. It is apparent that the floatmay be inserted into the float chamber through the bottom opening, whichis normally closed by said cover or door 2.

The float 18 is secured to the lower end of a rod 21 which passesupwardly through the tube and through a valve 22 adapted to close on aseat 23 at the lower end of the hopper bottom 4 of the carbid receptacle3. The valve 22 is secured to the rod 21 and at its lower end, carries aconical spreader 24 to prevent carbid from falling upon the perforatedcap 6 on the tube 5. The valve 22 is partially inclosed by a fixed dome25 supported by web 26 in the hopper 4, said dome serving to guide thevalve and relieve it from pressure of carbid within the receptacle,.thusreducing resistance to the movements of the valve to a minimum andinsuring its free and accurate operation. The dome 25 is made with aconical or contracted upper portion, from which a tube 26 rises, andinto this tube, the rod 21 enters.

A pipe 56 communicates at its lower end with the lower or float chamber17 and at its upper end, said pipe is provided with a funnel 57 for thereception of water with which to supply the chambers 16 and 17 of thetank. At a point intermediate of its ends, the pipe 56 is provided witha valve 58, to the stem of which, a lever 59 is secured, and this leveris made with a segment 60 provided with a block 61.

Water supplied through the funnel 57 and pipe 56 will enter the floatchamber 17, and when this chamber shall have become filled, the waterwill rise in the tube 5 and overflow into the chamber 16. In thismanner, the chamber is supplied with a suflicient quantity of water. Anoverflow pipe 62 communicates with the chamber 16 of tank 1 at a pointsomewhat below the level of the top of the tube 5 and this overflow pipeis provided with a valve 63 which, during the normal operation of theapparatus, will be kept closed. A lever 64 is secured to the stem of thevalve 63 and this lever is connected, by a rod 65 and an angular piece9,

with the valve 10 in the fliishf pipe 9', said angular piece serving,when in its lower position, to lock the flush valve against turning. Itwill be observed that the rod 65 is at right angles to a block 61 on thesegment of valve lever 59 and that the latter cannot be operated to openthe valve 58 in the water supply pipe,'until the lever 64 has beenoperated to move the rod laterally out of alinement with the block 61 onlever segment 6(). When the rod 65 is thus moved laterally, it will alsobe raised sufiicientl to raise the angular piece 9 and thus un ock theflush valve 10. After the flush valve has been thus unlocked, it can beturned to open it, by means of a lever 10 and it can afterward be closedby means of the same lever while the angular piece 9" is in raisedposition. The lever 64 of the overflow valve 63, is also connected, bymeans of a rod 66, with one arm of a bell-crank 67 pivotally supportedat the top of the tank 1, the other arm of said bell-crank beingconnected, by

means of a rod 68 with the ver 55 for operating devices (not shown)within the hopper cover 29.

As before stated, a certain quantity of gaseous fluid will be confinedwithin the float or receptacle 18, the volume of which gaseous fluidundergoes a variation which is inversely proportional to the pressure ofthe gas generated in the chamber 16 of the tank 1. The buoyancy of thefloat being proportional to the weight of water displaced by the floatand its gaseous contents, a force will be automatically available tolift the float and valve when the pressure in chamber 16 falls andpermit more calcium carbid to drop into the water in chamber 16, tocause the generation of increased gas pressure, when the valve 22 willbe caused to close. In other words, when the gas pressure in the chamber16 decreases, the displacement of water within the float will be sodecreased as to increase the buoyancy of the float and cause the valve22 to be ralsed, and when the as pressure in the chamber 16 increases,the uoyancy of the float will be gecreased by the rise of water withinthe cat.

Various changes might be made in the construction of the apparatuswithout departing from the spirit of my invention or limiting its scopeand hence I do not wish to restrict myself to the precise details hereinset forth.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. The combination with a pressure chamber to contain liquid and gasunder pressure, and means for controlling the accumulation of gas insaid chamber over the liquid therein. of a float having a chamber openat the bottom of the float and permanently closed at the top of thefloat, and means connecting the float with said gas controlling means,whereby the changes in pressure of gas on the surface of the liquid willvary the buoyancy ofthe float by displacement of the contents thereofand automatically operate said controlling means.

2. In regulating means of the character described, the combination witha pressure chamber, and controlling means, of a float having an openingin its lower portion and having its top permanently clomd, said floatadapted to be immersed in liquid subjected to pressure in the pressurechamber, whereby gaseous fluid is permanently confined within the floatabove the liquid therein, and means connecting the float with thecontrolling means, whereby said controlling will be substantiallyoperated by the buoyancy of the float due to change of pressure in thepressure chamber and on the liquid in which the float is immersed.

3. In regulating means of the character described, the combination witha pressure chamber adapted to contain liquid, a superimposed chamber,and a valve in the bottom of said superimposed chamber, of a separatechamber adapted to contain liquid and communicating with the pressurechamber, a float wholly immersed in the liquid in said separate chamber,said float having a permanently open bottom and a permanently closed topand adapted to entrapexpansive fluid, said float connected with saidvalve, whereby said valve will be operated by reason of varying pressurein the pressure chamber and on the liquid in which the float isimmersed.

4. In regulating means of the character described, the combination witha pressure chamber adapted to contain liquid, a superimposed chamber,and a valve in the bottom of the superimposed chamber, of a separatechamber adapted to contain liquid and communicating with the pressurechamber so that the liquid in said separate chamber will be subjected topressure from the pressure chamber, a float in said separate chamher andhaving a permanently open lower portion and a permanently closed top,and connections bet-ween said float and the valve in the bottom of thesuperimposed chamber.

5. In regulating means of the character described, the combination witha pressure chamber adapted to contain liquid, a superimposed receptaclecommunicating with the pressure chamber, and a valve for thesuperimposed receptacle, of a lower chamber below the pressure chamberand adapted to contain liquid, a tube communicating with the top of saidlower chamber and open within the upper portion of the pressure chamber,a float having an open bottom disposed in the lower chamber so as to beimmersed in the liquid therein, and a rod attached to said float andpassing through said tube, said rod being attached to the valve of thesuperimposed receptacle.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

CECIL LIGHTFOOT.

Witnesses:

C. H. O. JENKINS, HUBERT J. CREAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

